AURORA - One in three Americans will develop diabetes if current health trends continue, according to the Centers for Disease Control. And those who have the disease will lose an average of 10 to 15 years of life.
Statistics like those prompted a nationwide town-hall-variety series of meetings. Diabetes Nation: America at Risk plans a meeting in Aurora this month. The four-hour forum is planned from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes on the University of Colorado Denver's Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.
Physician speakers, and representatives from metro area government agencies, the healthcare industry and advocacy groups will gather to talk about local programs aimed at treating and stemming the diabetes epidemic, and ways to enhance those programs.
The featured speaker is Dr. Satish K. Garg, the director of adult programs at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes.
Representatives hope what they learn in each community about diabetes treatment will be part of a national solution to the health problems posed by the disease. Findings from the nationwide meetings will be presented during a National Conference on Diabetes.
Senior citizens and minorities, among the portions of the population hardest hit by the disease, are encouraged to attend to learn more about diabetes and add their thoughts to the discussion.
The afternoon event is a joint effort of the University of Colorado-Denver, Taking Control of Your Diabetes and the National Minority Quality Forum.
Organizers will provide transportation to those who need it. Refreshements will be provided.
The meeting is planned in Room 2104 of the Barbara Davis Center, 1775 Aurora Ct., Aurora, 80045.
R.S.V.P.s are strongly encouraged.
To R.S.V.P. or learn more about the event, call 800-288-5558 or e-mail Diabetes.Nation@bm.com.
Additional statistics about diabetes:
* 23.6 million people in the United States, nearly 8 percent of the population, have diabetes.
* Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure and non-traumatic, lower-extremity amputations among adults.
* Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death on U.S. death certificates in 2006. Worldwide, it kills about the same amount of people as HIV/AIDS.
* United States citizens account for about 8 percent of the world's diabetes victims, and the U.S. spends more than 50 percent of the world's total cost to treat the disease.
* In 2007, the total annual economic cost of diabetes to the United States was estimated at $174 billion.
* In the United States, one out of every five health care dollars is spent caring for someone with diagnosed diabetes.
(Statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control, the International Diabetes Federation and the American Diabetes Association.)
Stacey Anderson is a marketing specialist with Summit Information Services.